Union Public Service Commission, online application (Civil Services and other examinations)
UPSC photo 20–200 KB, signature 20–100 KB
UPSC’s instructions for uploading the photo and signature ask for a colour photograph in jpg between 20 KB and 200 KB with a plain white background and the face covering three quarters of the frame, and a signature image in jpg between 20 KB and 100 KB at 350 to 500 pixels. Choose each picture below and download a file inside those limits.
Official limit, checked on 2 November 2026
- Pick your form
- 2Choose your photo
- 3Download
Which form is the photo for?
Your picture stays on this device. It is resized inside your browser and is never uploaded to us.
Already have a photo? Check whether it will pass the UPSC form before you upload it.
UPSC picture requirements, from the official source
| Upload | Limit | Format | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photograph | Under 200 KB | JPG | Colour photo, clear and recent, full face, face covering 75% of the frame, both ears visible, plain white background, 20 KB to 200 KB, file named photo. |
| Signature (three signatures) | Under 100 KB | JPG | Three signatures one below the other in black ink on plain white paper, scanned as one image, 20 KB to 100 KB, 350 to 500 pixels, file named signature. |
In the organisation’s own words
“Upload a photo named photo in jpg format with a file size between 20KB and 200KB.”
“Make sure your face covers 75% i.e. 3/4th area of the photo.”
“Photo background shall be plain white.”
“Candidate should sign their own signature three times vertically (one below the other) on a plain white paper using a black ink.”
“File size: 20 KB – 100 KB. Image dimensions: 350 - 500 pixels”
“Capture of live photograph shall be mandatory for submission of the application for any examination.”
Source: Instructions for uploading the Photo & Signature, Union Public Service Commission (candidate portal). Checked on 2 November 2026. Limits can change with a new advertisement, so read the current instructions before you apply.
Also from UPSC
“Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2027: Date of Notification 13.01.2027; Last Date for receipt of Applications 02.02.2027; Date of commencement of Exam 23.05.2027 (Sunday).”
Source: Programme of Examinations 2027, Union Public Service Commission (as on 20 May 2026). Checked on 2 November 2026.
Two photographs: uploaded and live
The form takes an uploaded passport-style photograph and then captures a live photograph through the webcam, or through a QR code scanned with a phone. The instructions state that the live photograph “shall be matched with the passport-size photograph uploaded by the applicant. If a mismatch is detected between the two photographs, the applicant shall not be allowed to proceed further”. Use a recent photo and sit for the live capture in similar light, without glasses glare, hair over the eyes or a cap.
The uploaded file must be a colour jpg between 20 KB and 200 KB with a plain white background, the face filling three quarters of the frame, both ears visible, eyes open and a natural expression. Photographs in uniform, with a dark background, with dark glasses, with shadows, or signed on the front are not accepted.
What the current instructions no longer ask for
Older UPSC notices required the candidate’s name and the date of the photograph printed on it, a photo not older than ten days, and a pixel range of 350 × 350 to 1,000 × 1,000. None of those lines appears in the current instructions on the candidate portal (read 2 November 2026); the only photo rules are the jpg format, the 20 to 200 KB size, the white background, the 75% face and the live match. Coaching sites still repeat the old rules. Adding a name and date is harmless but not required; if you do, keep it in the bottom strip so the face coverage stays at three quarters.
The signature image
Sign three times, one below the other, in black ink on plain white paper with a clear gap between the signatures, then scan or photograph all three as one image. Save as jpg named signature, 20 KB to 100 KB, 350 to 500 pixels. The instructions show the rejected variants: signatures side by side, blue ink, a single signature, lined or coloured paper, blurred or rotated images.
The tool on this page makes a 400 × 500 pixel jpg inside the 20 to 100 KB range. Crop your scan to the three signatures with a small white margin before choosing it, so the frame is filled by the signatures rather than by empty paper.
When the next big window opens
The Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2027 notification is scheduled for 13 January 2027 with applications until 2 February 2027 and the examination on 23 May 2027, per UPSC’s programme of examinations dated 20 May 2026 (dates “liable to alteration”). Earlier windows on the same portal in this period include NDA & NA (I) and CDS (I) 2027 (2 to 22 December 2026). The same photo and signature instructions apply across UPSC online applications.
Questions about the UPSC upload
- What is the photo size for the UPSC online application?
- A colour photograph in jpg format between 20 KB and 200 KB, with a plain white background and the face covering 75% of the frame, both ears visible. No pixel size is stated in the current instructions.
- Does the UPSC photo need the name and date printed on it?
- Not in the current instructions on the candidate portal (read 2 November 2026). The name-and-date and ten-day rules were in older notices; the present requirements are the jpg format, 20–200 KB, white background, 75% face and a matching live photograph.
- What is the UPSC signature size?
- A jpg between 20 KB and 100 KB, 350 to 500 pixels, containing three signatures one below the other in black ink on plain white paper, scanned as a single image and named signature.
- What is the live photograph and what if the camera does not work?
- The form captures your face live and compares it with the uploaded photo; a mismatch stops the application. If the device has no webcam, scan the QR code shown in the form with a phone and capture there, in good light.
- When is the UPSC CSE 2027 notification?
- 13 January 2027, with the last date for applications on 2 February 2027 and the preliminary examination on 23 May 2027, according to UPSC’s programme of examinations; UPSC notes the dates may change.
Helpful guides
Passport size photo in Pakistan: cm, mm, inches and pixels
Passport size photo height and width in Pakistan: 45 × 35 mm, or 531 × 413 pixels at 300 dpi. Also 2 × 2 inches (US) and 50 × 70 mm (Canada), with conversions and a free resizer.
How to take a passport size photo at home with your phone
A plain wall, window light and a second person are enough to take a form-ready passport size photo at home. Steps, common mistakes, and how to crop it.
How to check a photo’s file size in KB on a phone or computer
Where to find the size of a photo in KB or MB on Windows, Android and iPhone, how to read the number, and how to compare it with a form’s limit.
KB vs pixels: what KB, MB, pixels and DPI mean for a photo upload
KB is file size, pixels are picture size, and DPI links pixels to print. A plain explanation with examples, and why a form can refuse a photo on either one.
JPG, JPEG, PNG and HEIC: which format an online form accepts
JPG and JPEG are the same thing, PNG is for screenshots, and HEIC is what recent iPhones save. Which one a form wants and how to get it.
Photo not uploading on an online form? 5 causes and the fix
Why FPSC, PPSC, NTS and other online forms refuse a photo: too many KB, wrong format, a renamed file, the wrong picture, or an unreadable CNIC. Fix each in a minute.